AWC announces its two Teachers of the Year
Math professor Reetika Dhawan and part-time business educator Douglas Pearson are the honorees for Arizona Western College’s 2017 Teachers of the Year.
Both will be recognized this evening at the Yuma County Education Foundation Teacher of the Year banquet at the Yuma Civic and Convention Center.
“I teach to increase the student’s knowledge of a subject matter through repetition and expansion using reading, listening and research,” Pearson said in his teaching philosophy statement. “I want my students to remember things for a lifetime, not just long enough to pass a test.”
Dhawan, who has been teaching at the college since 2008, says in her teaching philosophy statement that “a key aspect of my teaching style is to deliver engaging, high quality lectures. I have always been curious as to why certain seminar and colloquium speakers are so much better, more exciting than others. I decided that, just like learning to ride a bike, it was a matter of understanding key points in the `art of presentation,’ and of a lot of trial-and-error. I started studying how successful presentations are prepared and delivered. I believe a well-organized, engaging lecture is one that possesses a core topic, clearly outlined at the beginning of class, together with a motivation as to why we care about it and how it is relevant.”
As the 2017 Teacher of the Year, one of Dhawan’s award responsibilities is presenting a scholarship in her name to a future Matador who is a high school senior or a current AWC student. This year’s recipient is AWC student Shawna Holyfield.
Funding for the scholarship comes from the president’s budget, covering in-state tuition and fees. It may be renewed for three consecutive academic year semesters (for a total award of up to four semesters). The student scholarship recipient must be a resident of AWC’s district and must be a U.S. citizen.